Electrolytic device



Dec. 15, 1936.

R. c. SPRAGUE T AL ELECTROLYTIC DEVICE Original Filed April 22, 1932INVENTORS v BY {2x27 M ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 1 15, 1936 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE liamstown, Mass,

assignors to Sprague Specialties Company, North Adams, Mass., is.corpora-.

tion of Massachusetts Original application April 22, 1932, Serial No.

606,943, now Patent No. 1,997,185.

Divided and this application May 8, 1934, SerialNo.

In Canada September 19, 1932 1 Claim. (Cl. 115415) Our invention relatesto electrolytic devices and more particularly to improvements .in theconstruction of electrolytic condensers.

The present application is a division of our application Ser. No.606,943, filed April 22, 1932, now Patent No. 1,997,185 and relates tocertain attachment means described in said prior application.

One .object of our invention is to provide a condenser in which thecomponent parts are of simple and inexpensive mechanical construction,and are adapted to be easily and quickly assembled.

Another object is to provide a simple clamping or mounting'means tosecure the device to a suitable base or panel.

In the appended drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a condenser embodying ourinvention.

Fig. 2 is a partly sectional view of one form of clamping means.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clamping means shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partly sectional view of another form of clamping means.

As shown in Fig. 1, the condenser comprises a cylindrical metalliccontainer III, which preterably constitutes the cathode of the condenserand is provided at one end with a reduced neck or tubular extension Ii.A seal provided in such tubular extension consists of a plug. i2 0!rubber or other resilient material, filling and extending slightly tothe inside and beyond the outer end of the tubular extension II.

The plug I2 is provided with a central bore I20 through which-protrudesan extension i5 of an anode assembly it, said extension being secured inplace by crimping the sides of the neck ll diametrically opposite eachother as atl3|3, whereby the said plug thus forms a liquid and gas tightseal between the neck It and the plug i2, and also about the extensioni5 of the anode assembly. This crimping of the neck I I about the plugllmay be accomplished by spinning, squeezing, and other well-knownmeans, and the word crimping" in the claims should comprise suchmodification.-

The other end of the container is provided with a circular cap 20preferably of metal, the midportion of which forms a cup-shapeddepression 2|,which fits inside of the container in at 22. The freeedgeof the cap 20 is preferably spun over or otherwise secured to thecooperating edge of the container.

For this purpose the container before the assembly is provided with arim which is perpendicular to its axis, and which is spun together withthe cap. After the cap 20 and container III are thus secured to eachother, their combined edges are spun downwards over the outside of thecontainer, thereby forming a liquid and gas tight seal as at 23. v

The container is almost completely filled with I a suitable liquidelectrolyte 21.

viding for an escape for any gas which may ae-' cumuiate duringoperation of the condenser. However the band 26 effectually prevents anyescape of the electrolyte or the access of contaminations from theoutside.

The anode assembly iii which is supported in the plug H by means of itsextension l5, comprises a frame ll having an inverted U shape. The anodeproper consists of aluminum foil l8 of relatively small thickness whichis folded back and forth upon itself in the manner of accordionpleating, and riveted or otherwise secured to the legs of the U shapedmember at l9-i9. By this method of folding of the anode a considerablelength of foil may be compactly placed in a small space, thus providingan anode of large capacity. At the same time a relatively thin aluminumfoil of the order of thickness'of only 2 to 3 thousandths of an inch,can be used as its efficient support, and stiffening by the frame I!makes it unnecessary to impart such rigidity to the aluminum foil as tomake it self-supportmg.

To properly center the anode assembly there is provided on theupper endof the frame I! a properly perforated insulating washer 28 of mica orother suitable material which contacts with its edges with the containerwall and thereby maintains the anode.assembly in proper spaced relationto the latter. Instead of using for the spacing of the anode assembly awasher 28 as above described, the anode assembly may be encircled bysuitable insulating bands 29-29, for instance, of rubber.

$hould it be found desirable to impart a greater degree of rigidity tothe anode l8 than is afforded by the bands 29-29, a punched strip 55 ofthin hard rubber or celluloid adapted to slip over the anode i8 is used.The strip 55 is provided with two'lugs 56-46 which lay along the edgesof the frame i1, and a slot 51 which permits the strip to be placed overthe anode assembly IS. The strip 55 is flexed to enter the container 10,whereby the sidesof the slot 51 support the foil 18 and keep its edgesin alignment.

It should be noted that the extension [5 is preferably an integralportion of the frame l1, thereby affording a very simple construction.Outside terminals can be easily attached to the extension l5. Forinstance, the extension may be provided with a hole l5a through which awire may be conveniently threaded or a metal connecting strip may beriveted, or the extension itself may form a threaded terminal to beprovided with a nut.

In addition to the anode proper l8 being of aluminum or other filmforming metal, the frame i? and its integral extension i5 is also ofsuch metal. The container l may be of filming or non-filming metal.

It should also be noted that the amount of electrolyte and thedisposition of the anode is so selected that the whole effective anodeis submerged in the electrolyte in both horizontal and verticalpositions of the condenser, thereby the anode assembly is preferably sodisposed that its lower and upper edges are respectively equidistantlydisposed from the bottom and top of the container, and that sufiicientspace is left between the side edges of the assembly and the wall of thecontainer.

The condenser of our construction is adapted to be mounted bothvertically and horizontally, or in any intermediate position. a

It should be noted that even in horizontal position some of the holes 25(namely, those which are uppermost and thus uncovered by theelectrolyte) will permit escape of the gases.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate one means for clamping a condenser; in thisform of construction the clamping means are secured to the panel or baseand become a permanent part thereof, on the other hand the condenser canbe conveniently removed from the clamp.

The clamping means comprises a ring member 45, open at one end andprovided with two offsets 46-46, punched to hold a screw 41 and its nut48, whereby the member 45 may be securely fastened about the container10 of the condenser.

The other end of the member 45 is partially closed by portions 50-50,preferably integrally formed therewith. Extending outwardly from andperpendicular to the portions 50-50 are two tongues 5l-5l, preferablya'lso integral with the member 45. The tongues 5l-5l are circular inshape and concentric with the clamp member 45 and have short extensions52-52, which after said tongues are inserted through a hole in the baseor panel to which the device is attached, prevent its withdrawaltherefrom. It should be noted that extensions 52-52 have a beveled edge53 to take care of the thickness of the panel.

The inner edges 53-53 of the extensions 52-52 engage the panel or baseat an acute angle, so that outward bending, necessary to retain theclamp in place, further forces the edges 53-53 slightly into the base.In this manner rotation of the clamp is prevented and such fixedrelation of the clamp to the base is not changed by insertion or removalof a condenser.

Fig. 4 illustrates another method of mounting the condenser. In thiscase the container neck is provided with an intermediate threadedportion 40, the end ll of the neck and its associated parts being formedas described in connection with Fig. 1. The threaded portion 40protrudes through a hole 42 of the panel or base 43 upon which thecondenser is to be mounted, and a nut 41, cooperating with the threadedportion 40, clamps the condenser securely to the base. It should be wellunderstood that again horizontal, vertical or intermediate mounting ofthe condenser is possible.

While we have described our invention on hand of specific constructionand illustrated an electrolytic condenser having a liquid electrolyte,it should be well understood that our invention is applicable in full orin part to other electrolytic condensers, as well as other electrolyticdevices in general, and therefore the appended claim should be construedas broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination, an electrolytic condenser and a panel to which saidcondenser is to be secured, clamping means for the attachment of thecondenser to said panel, said clamping means comprising a resilientannulus to supportingly surround one end -oi' the condenser, andintegral tongs for said clamping means adapted to project through saidopening and to forcibly engage said panel, said condenser beingremovably secured in said ring.

. R. C. SPRAGUE.

J. F. MCCANN.

